NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Larry Zbysko

Larry Zbysko (born Lawrence Whistler on December 5, 1954 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) was a professional wrestler. Larry Zbysko from http://www. ... Larry Zbysko from http://www. ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1954 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... City nickname: The Steel City Location in the state of Pennsylvania Founded 1758 County Allegheny County Mayor Tom Murphy (Dem) Area - Total - Water 151. ... Professional wrestling is a form of performance entertainment where the participants engage in simulated sporting matches. ...

Career

WWWF & early days

Larry Zbysko started wrestling in 1972 after being trained by the legendary Bruno Sammartino. He debuted as a fan favorite and wrestled in Canada, Georgia, Florida, All Japan Pro Wrestling and the WWWF. He feuded with Bugsy McGraw, Abdullah the Butcher and Superstar Billy Graham. Bruno Laopardo Franceso Sammartino (born October 6, 1935 in Abruzzo, Italy), is a former professional wrestler. ... State nickname: Sunshine State, Everglade State Other U.S. States Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush Official languages English Area 170,451 km² (22nd) - Land 137,374 km² - Water 30,486 km² (17. ... All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. ... World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE, is a professional wrestling promotion, currently the largest in North America. ... Abdullah the Butcher Larry Shreve best known as Abdullah the Butcher, was one of the most nefarious heels in professional wrestling history. ... Superstar Billy Graham Billy Graham is a professional wrestler, commonly known as Superstar Billy Graham. ...

In the late 1970's, Zbysko formed a tag team with Tony Garea and they won the WWWF World Tag Team Titles. In 1979, Zbysko became a heel when he attacked his trainer Bruno Sammartino starting a legendary feud. The feud ended at "Showdown At Shea" on August 9, 1980 when Sammartino defeated Zbysko in a cage. August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

NWA & AWA

Zbysko left WWWF and feuded with Bruno's son, David, in the independents. He soon arrived in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions where he feuded with Paul Orndorff and Tim Woods. He paid Killer Tim Brooks $25,000 in 1983 to win the National Title from Orndorff for him but it was stripped after the purchase. The National Wrestling Alliance is a group of independent professional wrestling promotions, in operation since 1948. ... Crockett logo from 1973-1988 Jim Crockett Promotions was the name of a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett up until the late 1980s. ... Paul Martin Paul Martin was a professional wrestler. ...

In 1984, Zbysko went to the AWA where he won the AWA America's Title and had a long feud with Sgt. Slaughter. He really riled up the fans by climbing out of the ring if the action got too hot for him and walking around for minutes at a time. In 1987, he helped Curt Hennig beat Nick Bockwinkel for the AWA World Title when he handed a roll of coins to Hennig to hit Bockwinkel with. He also had a feud with troubleshooting referee, Scott LeDoux, at this time. The Aw are an endangered indigenous group of people living in the eastern Amazon forests of Brazil. ... Sgt. ... Curt Hennig (March 28, 1958 - February 10, 2003), also known by his stage name Mr. ...

In 1987, Zbysko went back to Jim Crockett Promotions and acquired the services of Baby Doll as his valet. He began a feud with Barry Windham and won Windham's Western States Heritage Title. He soon lost Baby Doll but gained a new manager in Gary Hart who teamed him with Al Perez. They feuded with Kendall Windham and Dusty Rhodes. Baby Doll Nickla Roberts was a professional wrestling valet better known as Baby Doll. ... Barry Windham Barry Windham is a professional wrestler and the son of the infamous heel wrestler Blackjack Mulligan. ... Gary Hart with Kabuki Gary Hart was a professional wrestling manager and was also a professional wrestler. ... Al Perez Al Perez was a professional wrestler. ... Kendall Windham was a professional wrestler. ... The American Dream Dusty Rhodes Virgil Runnels, Jr. ...

In 1989, Zbysko went back to the AWA, where he won the AWA World Title by winning a battle royal (he pinned the last man, Tom Zenk) for the title. He feuded with Nikita Koloff briefly and then started a feud with Mr. Saito, to whom he lost his title. Tom Zenk Tom Zenk was a professional wrestler. ... Nikita Koloff was a professional wrestler in the 1980s known as the Russian Nightmare. He was billed from Moscow in the Soviet Union and then from Lithuania after the fall of the Soviet Union. ...

He regained the title two months later and had feuds with The Trooper and Tommy Jammer before the AWA folded in early 1991. The Patriot Del Wilkes was a professional wrestler best known as The Patriot. ...

WCW

Zbysko went back to Jim Crockett Promotions, which had just become WCW. He teamed with Terrence Taylor as a potential recruit for the York Foundation, but did not join. He formed a tag team with Arn Anderson called "The Enforcers", and won the WCW World Tag Team Titles. They feuded with Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes and broke Windham's hand in his car door. Windham was replaced by Ricky Steamboat at Clash of Champions 17 on November 19, 1991 and they lost the titles to Steamboat and Rhodes. WCW logo until 1999 World Championship Wrestling or WCW, was a professional wrestling promotion that existed from 1988 to 2001. ... Terry Taylor Paul W. Taylor III, better known as Terry Taylor, is a former American professional Wrestler, currently working for Total Nonstop Action as a trainer and road agent. ... The York Foundation The York Foundation was a heel stable in professional wrestling that worked in World Championship Wrestling in the early 1990s. ... Arn Anderson Martin (Marty) Lunde, better known by his stage name of Arn Anderson (born September 20, 1958 in Rome, Georgia), is regarded by most professional wrestling experts as the greatest professional wrestler never to win a world title. ... Dustin Runnels Virgil Runnels III (born April 11, 1966 in Austin, Texas; often called Dustin Runnels) is a professional wrestler who has competed in the WWE and WCW. He is best-known for his WWE character of Goldust, a sexually ambiguous movie star. ... Ricky the Dragon Steamboat Richard Blood, (born February 28, 1953 in Charlotte, North Carolina) better known by his stage name Ricky The Dragon Steamboat, is an American professional wrestler. ... The Clash of Champions was started in 1988 by the NWAs Jim Crockett Promotions as a free PPV type broadcast in an effort to gain more viewers. ... November 19 is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

In December, he and Anderson joined Paul E. Dangerously's Dangerous Alliance with Rick Rude, "Stunning" Steve Austin, Bobby Eaton and Madusa. They feuded with Ricky Steamboat, Dustin Rhodes, Barry Windham, Nikita Koloff, WCW Champ Ron Simmons and Sting. On May 7, 1992, at WrestleWar, the Dangerous Alliance lost the War Games to Sting's team because Zbysko accidentally hit Eaton in the arm with the turnbuckle that he had dismantled. Eaton had to submit due to the pain. Zbysko was fired for this and had a brief feud with Austin before retiring to be a commentator for WCW. Paul Heyman Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965 in Scarsdale, New York) is a professional wrestling manager, on-air talent, and former promoter. ... The Dangerous Alliance was a professional wrestling stable that made a name for itself in World Championship Wrestling. ... Richard Erwin Rood, better known by his stage name of Ravishing Rick Rude (December 7, 1958 - April 20, 1999) was a professional wrestler who performed for many promotions, most notably World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation, in the 1980s and 1990s. ... Stephen Williams (born December 18, 1964) better known by his stage name Stone Cold Steve Austin, is a professional wrestler from Victoria, Texas. ... Bobby Eaton (born Robert Lee Eaton), was a professional wrestler famous for his days as one half of the Midnight Express. ... Madusa Miceli Debra Ann Miceli (born February 6, 1964 in Milan, Italy) better known as Madusa or Alundra Blayze, is a former professional wrestler for WCW and WWF. She is currently an active monster truck driver for Monster Jam. ... Ron Faarooq Asad Simmons Ron Simmons (a. ... Sting Sting (real name Steve Borden; born March 20, 1959 in Omaha, Nebraska) is a professional wrestler who has wrestled with several wrestling leagues, such as NWA, WCW, and NWA:TNA since the early 1980s. ... May 7 is the 127th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (128th in leap years). ... WrestleWar was a World Championship Wrestling PPV held in the month of May in 1989 and 1992 and the month of February in 1990 and 1991. ...

WCW Commentator

During his commentating days, he was paired with Dusty Rhodes and Chris Cruise on WCW's Main Event on Saturday mornings. They were a hilarious trio but unfortunately, the show did not get many viewers. Saturday is the day of the week between Friday and Sunday. ...

In 1994, Lord Steven Regal started harassing Zbysko and he came back to the ring to win the WCW Television Title from him. He lost it back one month later. William Regal as Goodwill Ambassador and Commissioner Darren Matthews aka William Regal (born May 10, 1965 in Staffordshire) is an English professional wrestler performing in World Wrestling Entertainment on the RAW brand. ...

In December 1994, the AWA was revived as AWA Superstars and Dale Gagne, the new owner, tried to get Zbysko to be the Champion since he never lost it, but he declined.

In 1996, Zbysko joined the WCW Monday Nitro broadcast team, where he bickered with Eric Bischoff. In 1997, he was challenged by the nWo's Scott Hall. He ignored the challenge and stayed in the broadcast booth except for an occasional special referee appearance against Hall and the nWo. WCW Monday Nitro was the weekly Monday night television program on TNT, put on by the now defunct Atlanta-based World Championship Wrestling (WCW). ... Eric Bischoff before having his head shaved by WWE wrestler Eugene. ... The nWo (New World Order) was both a professional wrestling storyline and the stable of wrestlers who were its central players. ... Scott Hall in TNA. This article is about the professional wrestler. ...

On December 28, 1997, Zbysko came back for a match against Eric Bischoff for control of WCW Monday Nitro with Bret Hart as special referee. Hart made sure that the nWo did not interfere and Zbysko won the match so that WCW could control Monday Nitro again. He finally had a match against Hall at Souled Out on January 24, 1998, but Dusty Rhodes turned on him and joined the nWo. December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... This article refers to the professional wrestler. ... Souled Out was a WCW PPV in the month of January from 1997 through 2000. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

Zbysko went back to commentating until 1999, when he had a retirement match with Curt Hennig, and lost. He returned as a member of the "Old Age Outlaws" with Terry Funk, Arn Anderson and Paul Orndorff to feud with the revived nWo. He went back to commentating after that angle died, and wrestled a few shows for Dusty Rhodes' Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling after WCW was purchased. In 2002, he had a small feud with Chris Harris in USA Pro. Curt Hennig (March 28, 1958 - February 10, 2003), also known by his stage name Mr. ... Terry Funk Terry Funk (born 30 June 1944) is an American professional wrestler known by some modern fans for his excessively violent, hardcore matches. ... Paul Martin Paul Martin was a professional wrestler. ... Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling is the name of the organization which uses the abbreviated TCW name. ... Wildcat Chris Harris is a professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action. ...

Zbysko is now an official for Total Nonstop Action. Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and his father Jerry Jarrett. ...

Profile

Baby Doll Nickla Roberts was a professional wrestling valet better known as Baby Doll. ... Paul Heyman Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965 in Scarsdale, New York) is a professional wrestling manager, on-air talent, and former promoter. ... Gary Hart with Kabuki Gary Hart was a professional wrestling manager and was also a professional wrestler. ... Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert Eddie Gilbert (born Thomas Edward Gilbert Jr. ...

Trivia

Verne Gagne is a former professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. ... Amy Crawford Amy Crawford was a member of WCWs Nitro Girls. ... Judo (Japanese: 柔道 Jūdō) is a martial art, a sport and a philosophy which originated in Japan. ...

Championships/Accomplishments

American Wrestling Association The World Wrestling Entertainments World Tag-Team Championship is the WWEs original tag-team championship and is now exclusive to the RAW brand. ...

World Championship Wrestling AWA World Title Belt The AWA World Heavyweight Championship was established in May 1960. ... The AWA Americas Championship was a very short-lived title in the American Wrestling Association that was created to play upon Sgt. ...

National Wrestling Alliance The WCW World Tag Team Championship was the major tag team title in World Championship Wrestling from 1991 to 2001, when the promotion closed. ... Arn Anderson Martin (Marty) Lunde, better known by his stage name of Arn Anderson (born September 20, 1958 in Rome, Georgia), is regarded by most professional wrestling experts as the greatest professional wrestler never to win a world title. ... The WCW World Television Championship is one of the most unusual belts in the history of wrestling. ...

Other Titles The NWA National Heavyweight Championship was a title in the National Wrestling Alliance from 1980 until 1986, when it was unified with the NWA United States Heavyweight Title. ... The NWA Western States Heritage Championship was a short-lived title in the National Wrestling Alliances Jim Crockett Promotions that was filled via a tournament in the Universal Wrestling Federation in 1987 and defended in Crockett until it was abandoned in 1989. ...

Categories: Professional wrestlers | 1954 births | Martial arts practitioners | People from Pennsylvania | People from Pittsburgh | Professional wrestling performers Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine that covers all wrestling promotions. ... Arn Anderson Martin (Marty) Lunde, better known by his stage name of Arn Anderson (born September 20, 1958 in Rome, Georgia), is regarded by most professional wrestling experts as the greatest professional wrestler never to win a world title. ... Bruno Laopardo Franceso Sammartino (born October 6, 1935 in Abruzzo, Italy), is a former professional wrestler. ...

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